Dark Corners
Orange sunset lighting guided me inside my dark dungeon that had been locked for the past day and a half. Nothing had changed, the messy bed was untouched, glasses standing just where I left them on top of my work station and on the sink. All my stuff was in the same place, still everything seemed foreigner to me. Much bigger than I recalled, the room was cold even with the window closed. I turned my head away.
Tired of carrying the heavy backpack Louise filled with food from the farm, I kicked the door behind me and turned on the lights to shake the somber mood that had laid waste over me. A few steps inside I started to put the supplies on the counter. She held me in until after lunch. We spent the whole morning discussing the contract, reading and rereading every clause trying to unveil the legal terms we didn't understand.
Basically, if Louise rented the farm to this company named "Exp Corp" they would have total power to decide where and what to exploit on the farm, only being obligated to preserve the living area, which was the house. Mainly the farm was used for the plantation of beans, if it were to be rented, the company could either keep it that way and just expand the crops or tear everything down to sink into the ground to get oil or any other source of fossil fuel.
According to Louise, the land that had been rented from her friends, the companies mostly doubled the crops. Others were used as storage but none of them were exploited for fuel. Oil had become rare, governments drained every last drop of their known reservoirs giving start to a global race for new sources. If the smallest trace of oil were found, they would pay piles of coins to get it.
Looking over the counter covered with food I decided to text Jk to tease him with pictures. Knowing him like I did, wouldn't take long for the boy to show up. While I examined the 3D photo, a sudden impulse told me to send it to officer Sun. Easily impressed, she would've loved the fresh vegetables, like she always were with everything eatable I showed her.
Maybe not add the picture but I still had to contact her.
"If you're free come over to-" I started typing but erased it. Sounded too much like a booty call which made me panick a little.
"Hello, Sato here. We need to ta-" I couldn't send that. Maybe I've spent too much time with Louise, I was starting to type like her.
"Officer, when you're free I think we should meet up. I've got news on your case." Not too formal but also not a booty call. Just a professional meeting. I hoped she wouldn't be offended that I got her personal number. Relieved that I had finally managed to text the woman after ghosting her for a week, I turned to get some water from the fridge.
Holding the cold glass bottle after drinking half of its content, I contemplated showering in my tiny bathroom versus the amazing experience I had at Louise's. I was meters away and I already could feel the freezing glass touching my defenseless body.
Another drink to finish up the bottle and shake the terrifying thoughts and I was ready to move but I was held in place by a new text.
"Sato? I'm glad you texted. I'm free tonight, is it a good time for you?"
In between my work space illuminated by the pink back light and the kitchen counter, I stood rereading the words but not understanding what they said. She wanted to come in when I was only expecting an answer by the next day and the meeting only happening a couple days later. I had no reaction. If I refused it would come out as rude since I had already ignored the events for too long. Postponing would be the smartest choice, unless she felt insulted by my lack of interest in the subject.
"Yeah. Where do you want to meet?"
"Where are you?" The answer was instant, like she had been staring at the screen waiting for my reply.
"Home."
"I'm coming over, is that ok?" For a cop she did not have a problem coming to the slums alone. She talked about it like it was just another section, when in reality if anyone knew who she was they would lock her up in a whole so deep I couldn't even imagine.
"If you want to..."
"Don't worry. I'm on my way."
Ready or not it was happening. She probably thought I had bailed since I vanished and was eager to know what news I had. That couple must've really meant a lot to her.
On the same spot, I breathed heavily, accepting the reality of my situation instead of fighting it. Ripping off the band-aid was the best option. We would have to meet eventually and it was crucial that I faced officer Sun since I needed her help. There was no reason for me to be nervous around her, instead, I should stay calm and figure out how far she was willing to go.
The shower got me more focused, taking away some of the anxiety, allowing me to think clearly. Back in the kitchen, I finished putting on the hoodie as I decided to pour myself a drink while I waited. Two fingers of whiskey and I headed to my desk to brush my wet hair.
-Search for "Exp Corp".
At home my mainscreen was untraceable, my IP was encrypted and changed after every new command. Being a ghost to the web was the first step to investigating these people. Companies kept track of every search carrying their name, for marketing purposes and security. The level of cyber security was raised once the access to the internet became universal. Hackers all over history brought many powerful corporations and governments to their knees, proving that the web was the most powerful weapon humanity had ever created.
Starting at the basics, Exp Corp official page explained their objectives very vaguely and philosophically. "Expand the horizons of humankind", "respect the planet and its limitations" fancy words to describe a parasite whose only goal was to extract from the Earth everything they could before anyone else. The CEO was a guy from Tier-1, it was a small company compared to the industrial Titans that resided in our city.
What Exp Corp did was rent the states and maximize the production to sell the materials to industries. Farmers not always looked for profit in their lands, many just liked the life style and conveniently made money out of it. Most part of the owners didn't explore the full potential of their properties, leaving hectares sitting around that in the hands of a company such as Exp Corp would be used to the fullest.
By the time I finished reading the home page, my hair was more than brushed and the house still felt strangely big.
-Play concentration music.
The cello was a very powerful weapon to help me focus. Lower notes resonated inside me and all over the room, occupying the dark corners and helping me relax on my chair again. Classic music was really popular in the slums, there were big orchestras formed by the residents. They would play on the yard in big concerts every now and again. Me and everyone on the close buldings would come out to watch it from the stairs.
Leaning back on my chair to appreciate the intense notes of a Bach cello suite with my eyes closed, I let myself be submerged by the melody. Memories from the orchestra traveled through my mind. I was sixteen or something when I saw it for the first time. It caused a huge impact on me, those wooden instruments bigger than the people playing them. For a while I tried to learn it in school but I was too uncoordinated and soon gave up to be just an admirer.
Thoughts began to slow down, leaving the cello to play solo in my head. My forehead began to feel heavy above my closed eyes. I was listening to the song imagining a view I saw on a painting in the city museum once when a knock on the door made my heart jump.